Seton Hall women fade against Syracuse, fall 65-42 in first round of Big East Tournament

Tim Farrell/The Star-LedgerSeton Hall's Kashmere Joseph attempts a shot in the first round of the Big East Tournament today. The Pirates lost to Syracuse and finished the season 1-16 in the conference.

HARTFORD, Conn. — A look of resignation stretched across the face of Phyllis Mangina, the sort of look forged over a season littered with losing for her Seton Hall woman’s basketball team. The old flaws — the kind she could not correct during this 21-loss season — revealed themselves again Friday afternoon, morphing an upset bid into a rout at the hands of Syracuse.

“A two-point game goes to an 18-point game because we can’t score,” Mangina said after a 65-42 loss in the first round of the Big East Tournament. “And then we didn’t rebound well. I think our kids were just exhausted.”

For the 15th straight season, the Pirates (9-21) will not receive an NCAA Tournament bid. In Mangina’s 25 years as head coach, she has made the tournament twice. They won a single conference game this season. Asked about her job security after the game, Mangina said she expects to return.

“As far as I know,” she said, “I’ll be the coach here until somebody tells me differently.”

For about 27 minutes, the Pirates surprised the Orange (21-9), forcing turnovers, sinking turnaround jumpers, striving for a mini-miracle. It was tied at 36 with 13:20 to play.

Then they began to miss. And miss. And miss, scoring just six more points shooting while 30.4 percent for the game.

They collapsed minute by minute, unable to execute against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone and unable to secure rebounds. By the end, they had nothing. The Pirates missed all six of their second-half 3s. They allowed the Orange to grab 28 offensive rebounds. Erica Morrow and Juanita Ward combined for 34 points to pace Syracuse.

The foundation blocks showed poise early, knocking down four first-half 3s and harassing the Orange on defense. The reserves leapt up and down on the bench.

It just wouldn’t last. It couldn’t last.

“We were very confident,” Juanita Ward said afterward.

The slide began with a banked 3 by Morrow from the corner, the indignity of all indignities. Syracuse finished the half on a 14-3 run. The Pirates still held a one-point lead at the half. The Orange held all the momentum. It was only a matter of time.

“When we stopped scoring the ball,” Mangina said, “it started really affecting us as the defensive end.”

NOTES

This tournament, which figures to serve as a coronation for Connecticut, kicked off in earnest just past 5:30 p.m. Friday, when Huskies senior Tina Charles won Big East Player of the Year honors. Head coach Geno Auriemma shared Coach of the Year with West Virginia’s Mike Carey. Georgetown’s Sugar Rodgers won Freshman of the Year.